General News
18 October, 2023
Underground finds delay finish to street project
THE FIRST section of Pyramid Hill’s delayed streetscape project is expected to be finished this week. Loddon Shire’s wellbeing director Wendy Gladman on Tuesday said portholes and planting at Lions Park by Friday would complete that stage...
THE FIRST section of Pyramid Hill’s delayed streetscape project is expected to be finished this week.
Loddon Shire’s wellbeing director Wendy Gladman on Tuesday said portholes and planting at Lions Park by Friday would complete that stage.
“The grassed area and access to the precinct at Kelly Park around the hall, and behind the toilets/museum will also shortly open to the community,” Mrs Gladman said.
“Works are continuing on the installation of the barbecue and shelter, as well as the street furniture and the pedestrian crossing.”
The $1.9 million project has been plagued by delays, including contractors finding decommissioned stormwater pipes and water supply mains as well as buried concrete footings and slabs buried on the Kelly Park site.
“Unfortunately, the project has experienced some unexpected challenges – in particular, contractors encountering a range of previously unidentified assets underground,” Mrs Gladman said.
“These were buried alongside currently active assets such as sewer lines and stormwater pipes, which, when constructed decades ago, were not recorded.
“So as things have been encountered a fair amount of detective work is required to ascertain the active pipe verses the inactive pipe. This has led to many minor modifications to the execution of the planned works to accommodate the unknown buried infrastructure.
“While this is not an uncommon occurrence in civil works of this nature, there has been more than the usual associated with this project resulting in an accumulation of design adjustments and delays. As a result, the contractor has undertaken a significant amount of improvement works in the area to enhance stormwater drainage and water supply in Kelly Park.
“These extra works have had an impact on the project’s original timeframe by six to eight weeks.
“Together with the discovery of these previously unknown underground assets, as well as some weather challenges that affected construction, this project is taking longer than originally anticipated.”
The project builds on the Pyramid Hill Streetscapes Masterplan developed in 2016 and aims to enhance Lions Park, Kelly Street and Kelly Park to create a consistent theme in the township.
The State Government has provided $800,000 in funding towards this project through its Infrastructure Stimulus Fund.
COVID delayed awarding of a contract for the project until May last year with the project’s finish date pushed out to late this year.
Mrs Gladman said: “We thank the Pyramid Hill community for their patience during this time, and would like to assure the community that Council and the contractor are doing all they can to complete this project as soon as possible.”